The Mercedes A180 CDI (Manual 6/Diesel) had great performance and handling on the autobahn at a crusing speed of 160/70 km/hr and the car was able to sprint pass an Audi 1.8TT at a brisk 195/200 km/hr; quite suprising. The seats could wear thin on your back and legs after 2.5/3 hrs. of driving and thats about the average 'fatigue time' for most cars or SUVs I've driven. The orientation of the reverse gear (left of gears 1 and 2) takes some focus and mental note taking. If you are not used to a 6 speed gearbox you can mistakingly select a forward gear (gears 4 or 6), because of where a reverse gear would be placed on a 5 speed vehicle. Even though I had some resevations when it came to renting the vehicle (My 1st choice was a Peugeot 407 for 1 week) the A180 CDI turned out to be quite a dynamic vehicle
Good Points
The A180 CDI (Manual 6/Diesel) has great power delivery and a steady power-band, a forgiving clutch, great seat adjustments and easy to fine tune, good front and rear visibility, one command stem allows for easy operation of turn signals and windsheild wipes, etc., good trunk space for the size of the vehicle, great fuel economy and comfortable seating for four average adults.
Good Points
The A180 CDI (Manual 6/Diesel) has great power delivery and a steady power-band, a forgiving clutch, great seat adjustments and easy to fine tune, good front and rear visibility, one command stem allows for easy operation of turn signals and windsheild wipes, etc., good trunk space for the size of the vehicle, great fuel economy and comfortable seating for four average adults.
Bad Points
When the adjustable steering wheel is set in the lowest position the wheel blocks the speed dial from the 60km to the 140km marker, but I will guess that this is relative to the driver's height and driving position. The wing mirrors visibilty takes some time to master.
When the adjustable steering wheel is set in the lowest position the wheel blocks the speed dial from the 60km to the 140km marker, but I will guess that this is relative to the driver's height and driving position. The wing mirrors visibilty takes some time to master.
Engine and drive system
Seven types of motors are available: four petrol (gasoline) (A150, A170, A200, A200Turbo) and three diesel (160CDI, 180CDI, 200CDI), all being four-cylinder and having either 5 or 6 gears. A continuously variable transmission system called "Autotronic Constantly Variable Transmission" (CVT) is an optional feature.The petrol A200 Turbo provides 193 hp and 280 Nm of torque (rotational force); the diesel A200 CDI has 140 hp and 300 Nm.It is estimated that the W169 engines provide a 40% increase in power and a 10% decrease in fuel consumption compared to W168 engines.The most powerful model can take the car from a standstill to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds, and has a top speed of 227 km/h.
